Breast | Breast Augmentation Complications

Breast augmentation is a major cosmetic surgery that involves incisions, general anesthesia and permanent changes to your body. As such, it comes with its fair share of inherent risks. The good news is that selecting an experienced and skilled plastic surgeon, like Dr. Rady Rahban, can dramatically minimize these risks and ensure a safe, smooth and effective procedure. On this page, we’ve outlined several of the most common breast augmentation complications that can arise – and the steps Dr. Rahban takes to prevent them from occurring.

"Dr. Rahban is truly gifted and talented. Every time I went in for an appointment he took his time examining me and answered each and every question I had. If you're considering any type of plastic surgery I highly recommend visiting Dr. Rahban." G.R.

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Breasts that are too large or too small

This is one of the most common breast augmentation complications, and it’s usually associated with less experienced surgeons or surgeons who don’t spend enough time figuring out what’s best for the patient. It happens because breast implants are measured in cubic centimeters – not cup sizes – which tends to result in sizing confusion and poorly managed expectations.

Dr. Rahban avoids these mistakes by focusing on how you want to look after surgery – rather than your desired cup size or a volume you think you want. He’ll ask you to provide photos of breasts you’d like to possess, which he will use as a guide throughout your procedure.

Dr. Rahban takes twice as long as most surgeons to perform breast augmentation. Unlike most surgeons, he does not come to the operating room with a few implants that he thinks may work, but rather has entire spectrum of styles and sizes available in his surgery center. Thus, during surgery, he’ll insert various sterile “sizer” implants, sit you up, look at you and compare the sizers to the images that you both have agreed on, continuing this process until he finds the one that matches your photos as closely as possible. In this way, he makes sure he accomplishes the shape, proportions, projection, and cleavage you’re looking for rather attempt to make you a certain cup size or volume in cubic centimeters.

Asymmetrical breasts

This complication occurs when your breasts are different shapes and/or sizes after breast surgery. Although no two breasts are exactly alike, they should look pretty similar overall. If they don’t, it’s typically a sign that a mistake was made during the procedure.

Asymmetry is most likely to occur if your natural breasts were two different sizes before surgery. However, it’s a very easy complication to prevent. Dr. Rahban will simply use different sized implants for each breast to achieve a symmetrical and harmonious look. Since he uses sterile sizers during your surgery, he can very accurately and predictably correct your preexisting asymmetry.

Visible implant rippling

All women want to avoid visible rippling, because it looks so unnatural. When this complication occurs, you can actually see the implant underneath your skin. It tends to affect very thin women who don’t possess enough breast tissue to achieve a seamless and organic look.

If Dr. Rahban believes you’re at a heightened risk for visible rippling, he’ll start by telling you to go smaller rather than larger in size. The bigger the implant, the worse the rippling. Many patients may want to go bigger, but they are unaware of the consequences. In addition, he will recommend placing the implant below the muscle, where it has more coverage. He may also recommend a silicone implant, as they ripple less visibly than those comprised of saline.

Capsular contracture

Capsular contracture is a serious breast augmentation complication. After an implant is placed, your body recognizes that it is a foreign material, similar to a pacemaker, heart valve or any other prosthesis, and therefore forms scar tissue around it also known as a capsule. In other words, your body attempts to isolate the implant in order to protect you.

Capsule formation is totally normal and all women who have breast implants develop them. They are thin and soft and imperceptible to the patient. However, in some cases the capsule will abnormally thicken and contract around the implant, causing the breast to appear deformed and displaced. This is what’s known as capsular contracture.

Unsightly scars

When it comes to avoiding unsightly breast augmentation scars, Dr. Rahban has one rule: choose your surgeon carefully. The marks you end up with are largely influenced by your surgeon’s technical skill and finesse in closing the incisions – so make sure you learn about their approach prior to going under the knife.

For example, Dr. Rahban views the suturing process as one of the most critical aspects of your procedure. Other plastic surgeons delegate this task to surgical techs, but not Dr. Rahban. Because he knows how important scars are to his patients, he personally closes all of his incisions, taking special care to achieve a high-quality scar that heals well and becomes faint over time.

Loss of nipple sensation

Many of our patients worry about losing their nipple sensation after a breast augmentation. However, with proper planning and an experienced surgeon, this complication is completely preventable. Many patients are misinformed, thinking that if they use an areolar approach they will lose sensation. The loss of sensation has nothing to do with the incision selected.

The loss of nipple sensation occurs when an oversized implant is placed, thus damaging the fourth intercostal nerve located near the armpit. Dr. Rahban can prevent this complication by selecting appropriately sized implants for your body, and placing them carefully to avoid damaging important surrounding structures.

Decreased breast milk

If you think you’ll want to nurse in the future, Dr. Rahban can take steps to preserve your ability to breastfeed. Incisions around the areola can reduce a woman’s ability to breast feed a little, so he’ll avoid cutting this area entirely. Instead, he’ll take an inframammary fold approach, making an incision along the crease underneath each breast to avoid the breast ducts.

Bleeding and infection

Both of these complications are extremely rare in Dr. Rahban’s office, because of the preventative measures taken by the surgeon and his entire team. To prevent bleeding, we’ll have you stop using aspirin, supplements and anti-inflammatory medications two full weeks prior to your procedure. To avoid an infection, we will have you wash with an antiseptic soap the evening before and the morning of surgery, and we’ll administer antibiotics before and after the procedure. Additionally, he uses a very specific antibiotic solution to wash the breast pocket prior to placing the permanent implant. Plus, we’ll provide you with strict post-operative instructions to further reduce your risk.

Come in for a Consultation with Dr. Rahban

When Dr. Rahban does a consultation with a prospective patient, he wants it to be two things above all others: thorough and honest. He will find out from
you just what you want from cosmetic surgery. And he will tell you honestly if you can get the result you want, and how he can best help you do so.